BET announces fall lineup with plenty of music

This fall, BET brings viewers a plethora of new, original series and returning favorites:

ORIGINAL SERIES
HIP HOP VS. AMERICA
Premiering: Part I Tuesday, September 25 at 8PM*
Part II Wednesday, September 26 at 8PM*
Part III Wednesday, September 26 at 9PM* on BETonBlast.com
Hip-hop culture and controversy have always made for familiar bedfellows. Yet, in the wake of the Imus controversy, hip-hop finds itself under an exceptional amount of scrutiny. BET NEWS takes a powerful and compelling look at the state of hip-hop today in a three-part series titled HIP HOP VS. AMERICA. Hosted by BET’s own Touré and Jeff Johnson, this special showcases a candid, heated forum that will allow audiences to hear the opinions of prominent leaders in the hip-hop industry, the political realm, academia and the Black church. Hip-hop recording artists Nelly, T.I., Mike Jones, MC Lyte, Master P. and the legendary Chuck D; top journalists Keith Boykin, Diane Weathers, Jeff Chang, Farai Chideya, Kim Osorio and New York Daily News columnist Stanley Crouch; filmmaker and cultural critic Nelson George; Judge Mablean Ephraim; former video vixens Melyssa Ford and Karrine Steffans; music executives Valeisha Butterfield and Benny Boom; ministers Conrad Tillard, Pastor A. R. Bernard; professor Dr. Michael Eric Dyson; and Reverend Al Sharpton lead the lists of outspoken panelists who take the stage and share their point of view on hip-hop.

SUNDAY BEST
Premiering: Tuesday, October 2 at 8PM*
Building on the success of Celebration of Gospel, BET introduces SUNDAY BEST, a nationwide search for America’s next great gospel singer. Hosted by platinum-selling artist Kirk Franklin, BET’s SUNDAY BEST will scour the country at storefront churches, parishes and mega-churches looking for the best undiscovered singers in America. Grammy Award-winning gospel superstars Bebe Winans and dynamic singing duo Mary Mary will judge the contestants each week while also nurturing the talented singers. The top five finalists will be coached by artists from the gospel and secular worlds as they strive to win the SUNDAY BEST title. The winner will receive a recording contract, a Toyota Camry, as well as cash and prizes for their home church.

EXALTED!
Premiering: Tuesday, October 2, at 9PM*
BET takes a look into the complex lives of inspirational leaders in this biography series profiling ministers from around the country. Some of these strong religious figures lead mega-churches, advise the President, and comfort the sick and destitute. BET’s EXALTED! goes beyond the public image to reveal the human side of these men and women to discover why they chose to follow this path, what sacrifices they made and the struggles they’ve encountered along the way.

COLLEGE HILL: INTERNS
Premiering: New night! – Tuesday, October 23 at 10PM*
Following the success of COLLEGE HILL 4, the highest-rated series in BET history, COLLEGE HILL: INTERNS, an exciting new spin-off, will follow 10 college students from around the country who move to Chicago to participate in a summer internship. While juggling their professional responsibilities and late night partying, these college students will learn the harsh reality of what it means to hold down a job. Dr. Ian Smith, host of BET’s MEET THE FAITH, serves as their advisor.

RETURNING SERIES
BOBBY JONES GOSPEL
Premiering: Sunday, September 9 at 9PM*
BOBBY JONES GOSPEL continues to be one of the highest-rated and longest-running shows on BET. This hour-long program, hosted by popular gospel entertainer Bobby Jones, gets viewers in the spirit with gospel artists and choirs from around the country. Watch the show and be blessed!

AMERICAN GANGSTER 2
Premiering: New night! Wednesday, October 3 at 10PM*
Narrated by award-winning actor Ving Rhames, the critically acclaimed AMERICAN GANGSTER returns for a second season with 10 all-new episodes chronicling the life and times of some of African-America’s most notorious crime figures. Some of this season’s profiles include Larry Hoover, The Black Philly Mafia and Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff, as well as an exclusive interview with Frank Lucas, the real-life character that Denzel Washington portrays in the upcoming film “American Gangster.”

BET HIP-HOP AWARDS 2007
Premiering: Wednesday, October 17 at 8PM*
More than a musical style, hip-hop is a history of American culture and a testimony by its artists of their life experiences. BET shocked “Hotlanta” on November 15, 2006 with its first HIP-HOP AWARDS, which drew a whopping 3.64 million viewers (2.93 rating) and was the #1 primetime telecast in all of cable television that night. This year’s HIP-HOP AWARDS will be an electrifying homage to the genre of hip-hop, and viewers won’t want to miss the off-the-hook performances and appearances by the biggest names in the game.

KEYSHIA COLE 2: THE WAY IT IS
Premiering: New night! Tuesday, October 30 at 10:30PM*
The sophomore season of the hit reality series documents the life of platinum-selling R&B songstress Keyshia Cole. In KEYSHIA COLE 2: THE WAY IT IS, BET takes viewers on an exclusive, behind-the-scenes journey of Keyshia’s personal growth and challenges, including her efforts to rebuild an already strained relationship with her mother.